This Month’s Raves: The Cosy, The Random, and the Satisfyingly Useful.

Every month I seem to fall in love with a new collection of completely unrelated things. I gather them like a squirrel gathers nuts and then proudly display them to those around me. Like a daily show and tell that nobody has requested.

This month’s raves are a mix of comfort, kitchen, treats and my return to Hogwarts.

Let’s get into it.

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🥕 Frozen Veg: The Unsung Hero of My Life

Fresh is cute or whatever, but frozen veg is reliable. Frozen veg does not judge. Frozen veg will not transform in your fridge drawer three days after you promised yourself you’d “eat healthier.”

The un-choosen veg peeks out at you through its packaging. It oozes shame and judgment. You try to quickly move it out of the way to grab the quick cook lasagna.

I’ve been throwing handfuls of frozen peas, carrots, broccoli, whatever is closest (or on offer) into everything. Stir-fries, pasta, slow cooker meals. I’ve even microwaved a bowl of frozen veg and called it dinner, and honestly? No regrets.

When work gets hectic, frozen veg gives me a fighting chance of eating something vaguely nutritious. Even if, in a few weeks, I’ll be prying it loose from the ice block formerly known as my freezer.

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🍖 Slow Cooked Ham: The Winter Meal That Does All the Work

Slow cooked ham is the easiest, cosiest, most soul comforting meal you can make. Throw it in a slow cooker, forget about it, and return home to a kitchen that smells like Christmas.

Bonus points:

• Makes sandwiches for days
• Bragging rights, general smugness.
• Getting to use glaze.
• Makes you feel like you have your life together even when you absolutely do not

I’ve reached a point where my slow cooker usage is becoming a personality trait.

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🖥️ A Second Monitor: The Productivity Glow-Up I Didn’t Expect

You don’t know how much time you’ve wasted clicking between tabs until you get a second monitor and suddenly you’re like:

“Oh. So this is how normal people live.”

Game changer.
Life changer.
Neck saver.

I can write on one screen, reference on the other. Or watch Netflix on one and pretend to work on the other (balance). Either way, highly recommend. Also giving me fantastic experience for whenever I become a professional tennis watcher.

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🧙‍♂️ Rewatching Harry Potter: The Ultimate Comfort Blanket

There’s something deeply healing about revisiting the Harry Potter films as an adult. The plot, the nostalgia. For the absolute chaos of noticing new things your child brain never clocked, like:

• The sheer lack of supervision
• The occasional cringe
• The way nearly every teacher is one bad day away from quitting
• How comfy the whole aesthetic is, the knitwear, candles, moody rain, fireplaces and life threatening situations around every corner.

Love from,

A Hufflepuff

Image credit to inspiredbythemuse, Source: Pixabay